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What I'm really watching: Monkees, Thunderbirds and kids' TV of the 70s

In the latest of our new series revealing the strange viewing habits brought on by self-isolation, one writer finds time to plumb the deepest depths of the 70s kids’ TV schedules

Nostalgia isn’t what it used to be. And neither is children’s telly. Even before the internet made viewing anything possible at any time, the explosion of cable channels such as Nickelodeon and CBeebies churned out enough comedies, cartoons and TV movies to turn any child’s eyes square.

Not so in my formative years, the late-60s to mid-1970s. We had time to burn then, especially when that nice Mr Heath was prime minister and only made us go to school three days a week. Of course, we were free to roam the streets without fear, unlike today’s forcibly school-deprived youngsters; plus, indoors, the TV was rarely on. Kids’ programmes – practically any programmes apart from the lunchtime news and Watch with Mother – didn’t start on the BBC until 4pm. Except in school holidays when there were long mornings of extra shows – and that, in this time of coronavirus, is what I’m attempting to recreate.

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from Culture | The Guardian https://ift.tt/39oDhVU
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